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The controversial law on control by Artp and Internet operators in Senegal was passed as a letter to the National Assembly on Wednesday, November 28, on the occasion of the vote of the budget of the Ministry of Finance. Communication, Telecommunications, Posts and the Digital Economy. Two amendments rejected and one non-examined, and voila. The majority of MPs validated what will constitute, according to many observers the censorship of the internet in Senegal.
As a reminder, in its Article 27, the said law threatens Senegalese access to Internet telephony applications: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Skype, Viber, etc. The outcome of such a measure would be a serious blow to the country's digital economy and could call into question significant advances in Senegal's democratic showcase.
The last paragraph of Article 27 of the Code provides: "The regulatory authority may authorize or impose any traffic management measure that it considers appropriate to, inter alia, preserve competition in the electronic communications sector and ensure the processing of of similar services. "
This provision of the new Code of electronic communications jeopardizes the neutrality of the Net and thus gives the ARTP and operators, the power to slow down, filter access to "Over the top" (OTT) that are WhatsApp, FB Messenger , Skype, etc. to protect the interests of mobile operators to the detriment of users' interests.
This is a provision that can also lead to a two-speed internet. One for the rich and another for the poor in a country where the digital divide is already gaping.
This article 27 of the draft law on the Electronic Communications Code is therefore a danger for the development of the digital economy (start-ups) and the youth who is active in online media and social networks.
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